If you have some old, dry, potting soil laying around the yard, it's a good idea to remove it from direct sunlight.

With temperatures soaring in the region, soil and other dry materials left in direct sunlight can become a fire hazard.

Karen Shaw, Tourism Manager with Kayben Farms, says potting soil is a lot more flammable than you'd think.

"It is flammable because it's largely composed of peat moss, and a lot of that comes from northern Alberta, peat moss being a natural product when it dries out it is very flammable. There are some other things in potting soil there's Vermiculite or Perlite, and some compost, and things like that but largely it's peat moss which is really, really flammable."

Shaw shares it's not just potting soil that can pose a hazard, most other dried out plant matter can as well.

"Any kind of dry grass especially if you park vehicles on it, and mulch oddly enough because its tree bark. Just like trees will burn in a forest fire , mulch is almost entirely composed of tree bark, so it will catch on fire just like a forest fire would."

Removing dry mulch from direct sunlight isn't an option for many who have it in gardens, Shaw recommends adding a special watering system to prevent any hazard.

"A lot of people have mulch on top of plants, if you put down a drip irrigation system underneath the mulch not only will it moisten the mulch but you'll eliminate water evaporating, so more water will get to the root of your plants instead of evaporating."

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